Systems and methods for photon map querying

Abstract

In one aspect, photon queries are answered using systems and methods of traversal of collections of photon queries through an acceleration structure, to identify photons meeting a specification of a given query. Such systems and methods can be extended to satisfying similarity queries in an n-dimensional parameter space. Queries can be associated with code (or pointers to code) that are run to achieve closure of that query. Queries can cause further queries to be emitted. Arbitrary data can be passed from one query to another; for example, parameters defined internally to the code modules themselves (e.g., the parameters do not need to have a definition or meaning to the systems or within the methods).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 61 / 221,550, filed Jun. 29, 2009, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PHOTON MAP QUERYING”, and which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]Generally, the following relates to systems and methods for accepting and fulfilling queries made of a dataset defined on n-dimensions, and some particular aspects relate to photon map query fulfillment, an API for accepting such queries, and n-dimensional query fulfillment and API techniques that may find more usage beyond graphics rendering.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]Rendering photo-realistic 2-D images from 3-D scene descriptions with various techniques is well-known in the computer graphics arts. Ray tracing is an example of an approach to visibility determinations, that in conjunction with lighting models allows creation of interesting visual effects, and highly accurate lighting ef...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Similar to ray tracing, using photon mapping for lighting determinations is quite compute intensive, and at its most realistic and most unimplementable could involve attempting to trace each photon coming from a given light source, which for an example 60w green light bulb would require a computer about 1014 times faster than those available at the time (2004).

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